Feeler mechanism for looms



Feb. 18, 1930. J. w. SIMPSON 1,747,993

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //v E'NTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 18, '1930. J, w, SIMPSON 1,747,993

FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i: n IIIIHIIIIHIIHIIHHlll'lll mum lllh, n.

4 i/ENTORI I BY 2"]- A TTORNEY I Patented Feb. 18, 1930 STAT S PATENT OFFICE x JESSE w. "SIMPSON, on ANDERSON, scorn oe'n oniNa, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER coimona- TIoN, on 'HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE FEELER MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Application filed January 28', 1929. Serial No. 335,718.

r This invention relates to feeler mechanisms for loomsand is more particularly directed to feeler mechanismsof'the side slipping type wherein the side slipping movement of the feeler is utilized in effecting a change in the 100m operation, as, for instance, replenish,- ment of filling. I r In feeler mechanisms of this general type the feeler is usually provided with filling en 9 gaging' teeth to prevent side slippingmove- Ine'ntof the feeler when a working supply {of filling is in the shuttle on a detectingbeat,

and to permit such side slipping movement of the feelerwhen the filling has becomesub- 5 stantially exhausted.

. 1 When a working supplyof filling is in the Qshu-ttle the feeler is displaced frontwardly to a greater extent than it is when the filling approaches to or becomes substantially exhausted, with the result that the maximum tendency to cause side slipping movement of the feeler takes place when a working supply of-filling is in the shuttle, and it happens tat times under these conditions that the feeler .5 will'side slip and call for a change of filling .When a working supply is in theshuttle, and since thefilling remaining on the ejected fillingi carrier or bobbin constitutes waste, this improper actionof feeler mechanism results c in an abnormal loss of filling. v

One of the object-sof the present inven tion is to provide means whereby when the feelerris moved frontwardlyby a working supply of filling on a detecting beat, re-

:5 plenishment of filling will be prevented, even though the feeler may side slip under the increased stress of the oncoming Working supi ply offillingor the increase in spring acting means operating uponthe feeler.

of. filling in the shuttle.

' More specifically stated, the invention commechanism;

Fig. 3 is a plan View showing the feeler as being displaced frontwardly by a working supply of filling and by dotted lines indicating the relation of parts should the feeler side slip on the filling;

Fig. 4 is a. similar plan view showing the relation of parts when the filling is substantially exhausted and the feeler partakes of its side slipping movement; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

The feeler mechanism of the present inventionmay be advantageously employed in connection with filling replenishing mechanism whereby a new supply of filling is furnished when that in the active shuttle becomes substantially exhausted, but since the details of the filling replenishing mechanism form no part of the present invention and are now well understood by those skilled in the art,

theyare not herein shown and described, as

they may be of any usual construction.

r The loom frame has extending therefrom the usual, shipper stand 1 with the projecting support 2 on which the feeler mechanism may be mounted, and in the present instance,

a bracket 3 is secured to the support 2 by means of a bolt 4, as usual.

The feeler stand 5 may be of appropriate construction to support the operating parts of the feeler mechanism and as shown consists of a plate having a slot 6 through which passes the bolt 7 for adjustably securing the feeler stand in the desired operative position on the 100111 frame or bracket 3 secured thereto. The rear portion ofthe feeler stand 5 has an upstanding flange 8 provided with an opening 9 through which extends the I feeler 10.

The feeler 10 may be variously contrived and may be constituted as a side slipping feeler, but as herein shown as a good practical form, the feeler 10 is formed as a heavy wire or blade having its rear end portion 11 formed preferably with abevel for engagement with a surface within the shuttle on detecting beats. The feeler 10 at its front portion is provided with a lateral extension 12 forming a stop for determining the rearward feeling position of the feeler, and cooperating with the extension 12 is a fulcrum stop 13 which may be constituted as a bolt or screw secured to the feeler-stand 5;

In accordance with the present invention the feeler is provided with a transmitter actuator for operating the transmission mechanism to initiate filling replenishment when the filling in the shuttle has reached a predetermined degree'of exhaustion, and such transmitter actuator may be vai'i'ed'in construction, but as herein indicated in the present instance of the invention where the feeler 'is formed ofwire or a blade as described, the

transmitter is constituted as a rearwardly extending finger 14 which may, as indicated, be formed by bending the front p o rtionof the feeler, as at 12, and carrying the end thereof rearwardly, as at 14. I i

' In this instance of the invention, the feeler is normally under the influence of a spring whichacts, in a rearwardly inclined direction to move the feeler into its rearward feeling position, as indicatedin Fig. 1, and to impart to the feeler a tendency to side slip when the feeler is moved frontwardly; As shown, the

feeler stand 5 has secured thereto the bracket 15, to the end 16 of which is secured one end of a spring 17, the'opposite end of the spring being secured at 18 to a bend in the rear wardly projecting transmitter actuator 14, and as will be apparent from Fig.1, the spring 17 acts upon the feeler'rearwardly of the fulcrum stop '13 when the feeler is in its rearward feeling position, but when the feeler is moved frontwardly the stress of the spring filling replenishment, and in the broad aspect of the' invention the transmittermay be of any usual character.

' As herein shown the transmitter comprises a slide '19 having an elongated slot 20 and. preferably mounted beneath the feeler stand 5' by suitablemeanssuch, for instance, as the threaded bolt 21 which may bepa'ssed through the feeler for side slipping memes an opening in the feeler stand 5 and through the slot 20 of the slide 19, with the head 22 of the bolt beneath the slide, as more clearly indicated in Fig. 5. a

Where the construction employed for the transmitter is of the character described, the

feeler stand 5 is provided with a laterally extending slot 23 through which extends a lug or projection 24 upon the slide 19, such projection constituting a member of the slide for engagement by the transmitter actuator which is operated by the feeler.

The transmitter slide 19 is connected to a link member 25 which forms part of a train of mechanism for initiating filling replenishment when the transmitter is movedlaterally, Y

to the right in the'present instance. I

The transmitter actuator as shown int-he present instance and as above (lESClTlbBd. "is

constituted bythe backward extension or arm 14 which is offset from the main body of'the feeler 10 to form an opening 26 into which'extends the lug or projection 24 on the slide l9,

the result being that should the feeler side 'slip'as on substantial-exhaustion offilling,

Fig. 4, the slide 19' will be moved to initiate replenishment of fillingand'on backward movement ofth'e lay the spring 17 will move the feeler rearwardly tojits final-feelingpo'sition, whereupon the feeler itself will act through the projection or lug 24 of the slide to return the transmitter to its initial position. Thus the transmitter is moved in the present instance of the invention positively in both directions, one to effect replenishment through the transmitter actuator,"and the other to return the transmitter through the action of the feeler to its-initial position.

From the construction describedfasjflari illustrated form of "the inventionit will be apparent thatwhen the feeler is moved frontwardlv by a, working supplyo'f filling in' the shuttle, as indicated in Fig. 3, the transmitteractuator will likewisebe moved frontwardly into an inoperative-relation with the transmitter, and should thefeeler at this time partake of its side slipping'movement, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the transmitter actuator will not operate the transmitter and consequently filling replenishment will not be effected, thereby obviating the waste that might occur should replenishment be effected with a working supply of filling in the shuttle. 7

' i As the'fillin'g b comes; gradually depleted in the shuttle the feeler willfbe moved frontwardly a less and less amount until, when the filling has approached or reached substantial exhaustion, the transmitter actuator will not be moved into an inoperative relation with the transmitter,. as indicated in Fig. 4, and

upon side slipping'movement of thefeelerth e transmitter actuator will operate the'transmitter to effect replenishment of filling.

Since the filling is gradually exhausted during the 100m operation, it is expedient to "form the rear end portion of the transmitter actuator 14 with an incline or bevel 27, and

likewise, if desired, the projection orlug 24 of the-slide 19 may be provided with an inclined'front surface 28, as indicated, so that on re'arwardmovement of the feeler these parts "may pass each other without obstruction.

As indicated in the present instance of the "invention, the fulcrum stop 13 may be convenient-ly located to engage the opening 26 between the transmitter actuator 14 and the p its side slipping movement .it will turn about the fulcrum stop as a center.

The lay 29 and shuttle box 30 may be of usual construction, the latter to receive the shuttle 31 when it is in the detecting box, and

the shuttle 31 may have its front wall 32 provided with the usual feeler opening 33 registering with a similar opening in the front wall of the shuttle box when the shuttle is in position for the action of the feeler. As usual, also, in shuttles of the replenishing type, the filling carrier 34 has the filling 35 woundthereon and isdetachably held in the replenishing shuttle by the bobbin holding jaws 36, as usual. a

From the construction described as one simple practical form of the present invention, it will be apparent that when the feeler is moved frontwardly by a working supply of filling on a detecting beat, the transmitter actuator will be moved frontwardly into an inoperative relation with the transmitter, so

that should the feeler side slip under such conditions filling replenishment will not be effected. When, however, the filling has become exhausted to a predetermined extent and the feeler is consequently moved front- ,wardly a less distance than when moved by a working supply of filling, the transmitter actuator will remain in operative relation with the transmitter to actuate the latter when the feeler partakes of its side swipe movement. and filling is substantially exhausted. g

, What is claimed is:

1. A .fee-ler mechanism for looms, comprising, in combination, a feeler stand, a feeler mounted on the stand for front-ward, rearward, and slde sllpplng movements, a transmitter adapted to be actuated to initiate replenishment of filling upon side slipping movementof the feeler, a transmitter actuator carried by the feeler and moved frontwardly I filling on detectingbeats that replenishment of filling may not be effected should the feeler ing its side slipping movement,'and a spring acting upon the feeler rearwardlyof the fulcrum stop in a direction to move the actuator to its initial position when the feeler is in rearward feeling position and frontward of the fulcrum stop when the feeler is displaced frontwardly.

2. A feeler mechanism for looms, comprising in its construction a feeler stand, a side slipping feeler directly mounted on the stand, a transmitter for initiating replenishment of filling having an engaging portion above the feeler stand, a transmitter actuator carried by the feeler in spaced relation to the main portion of the feeler to receive said engaging portion thercbetween and adapted to engage said portion ofthe transmitter on side-slipping movement of the feeler when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat and for movement frontwardly out of engaging position with said'portion of the transmitter when the feeler is moved'frontwardly by a working supply of filling.

3. A feeler mechanism for looms, comprising, in combination, a feeler stand, a feeler directly mounted on the stand for side slipping movement, a transmitter mounted for slid- 'ing movement beneath the feeler stand and having a lug extending through the feeler stand, a transmitter actuator carried by the feeler but disposed in spaced relation to the main portion of the feeler for receiving the lug therebetween to operate the transmitter and effect replenishment of filling only when the feeler fails to be moved frontwardly by a working supply of filling on a detecting beat.

4. In a' feeler me hanism for looms, the combination of a feeler stand, a side slipping feeler carried by the feeler stand, a transmitter mounted for sliding movement and having a projecting lug, a transmitter actuator off-set to one side of the feeler forming an opening between the feeler and actuator into which the transmitter lug extends that the actuator may actuate the transmitter when the feeler side slips and the feeler may move the transmitter to its initial position when the feeler assumes its feeling position.

5. In a feeler mechanism forlooms,the combination of a feeler stand having a feeler fulcrum, a floating side slipping feeler mounted on the feeler stand and provided with a looped rearwardly extending portion spacedfrom the main portion of the feeler to receive the fulcrum therebetween, a spring for moving transmitter for initiating replenishment of filling and provided with a part adapted to be engaged by the main portion of the feeler and shifted thereby to restore the transmitter to its normal position, and adapted to be engaged by the looped portion of the feelerand actuated therebyto replenish filling when the having a feeler engaging portion, a transmitter actuator carried by the feeler and constructed to provide a recess to'receive said portion and adapted to actuatefthe transmitter on side slipping movenoent of the feeler when the filling is substantially exhausted on a detecting beat and for movement frontwardly out of engaging relation with said portion when the feeler is moved frontwardly by a working supply offilling, and an operating spring for the feeler and arranged to exert a lateral pull upon the feeler in a direction to shift the transmitter toits normal position. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification. p

. JESSE SIMPSON.

filling is substantially exhausted and the feel- 7 er side'slips but not to be actuated thereby when a substantial amount of filling is present and the feeler side slips.

7.-In a feeler mechanism forllooms, the combination of a feeler stand having afeeler fulcrum, a floating side slipping feeler mounted on the feeler stand and provided wit-h a looped rearwardly extending portion spaced from the main portionof the feeler to receive the fulcrum therebetween, a spring for urging the feeler rearward-and laterally, a transmitter for initiating replenishment of filling and provided with a projectionwhich lies between the looped rearwardly extending portion and main body portion of the feeler when the feeler is in its rearmost position and adapted to be engaged and shifted by the looped portion of the feeler when the filling is substantially exhausted and the feeler side portion when a substantial amount of filling t about the fulcrum, a transmitter'for initiating replenishment of filling, a transmitter actuator-upon the feeler for displacing the transmitter to initiate replenishment of filling when filling is substantially exhausted and the feeler side slips but arranged so as not to displace the transmitter when a substantial amount offillingis present andthe feeler side slips, and said spring being adapted to exert a lateral pull upon the feeler in a direction to return the shifted transmitter to its normal position.

9. .A feeler mechanism for looms, comprisslips but not to be engaged by said looped ingin combinationoa feeler stand, a side slip- ,ping'feeler mounted on the stand, a transmitter for initiating replenishmentof' filling and 

